Humanist 'Bible' takes on Book of Mormon

'We would like members of Congress and everyone else to read this'

(Salt Lake Tribune) Thomas Jefferson is back in Washington — in the form of a new edition of the “Jefferson Bible” distributed to politicians by a national humanist organization.

The American Humanist Association has delivered electronic and paperback copies of Jefferson’s highly edited version of the Gospels to all incoming members of Congress and to President Barack Obama.

The so-called “Jefferson Bible” was handcrafted by the third president with a razor blade and a paste pot. He cut what he considered supernatural events — the virgin birth, miracles and healings — from the story of Jesus’ life, and pasted together what remained. In letters to John Adams, Jefferson described this as tearing down the “artificial scaffolding” from Jesus’ teachings.